Loy scores pair as U.S. wins in field hockey Olympic qualifier

KAZAN, Russia -- Angie Loy scored two goals to lead the U.S. field hockey team to a 7-0 win over France on Tuesday at an Olympic qualifying tournament.

The Americans (3-0) have outscored their opponents 17-2 at the six-team event, which they must win to advance to the Beijing Games. Kate Barber, Tiffany Snow, Keli Smith, Melissa Leonetti and Rachel Dawson also scored for the U.S. on Tuesday.

"We're happy to come away with a win in a game that possibly could have been very dangerous for us," U.S. coach Lee Bodimeade said. "France played very well against us in the first half, and we had to lift our game to get on top of them."

By winning this tournament, the U.S. would compete in the Olympics for the first time since 1996, when it qualified as the host country. The Americans haven't earned a spot by winning a qualifier since 1988.